XN000022-1979-05-31 — Page 3

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 1979

VANDALISM COST GOVT

$680,000 IN PARKING METER REVENUE

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THE GOVERNMENT LOST $680,000 IN REVENUE COLLECTED FROM PARKING METERS LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF VANDALISM AND THEFT.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT REVENUE COLLECTED FROM PARKING METERS FOR THE YEAR AMOUNTED TO $11.66 MILLION, REPRESENTING A DECREASE OF 5.5 PER CENT. REVENUE COLLECTED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR WAS $12,34 MILLION.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THE DECREASE WAS MAINLY DUE TO +PILFERAGE FROM METERS+ WHICH HE SAID, WAS A GROWING PROBLEM,+

TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM, HE SAID, COUNTER MEASURES WILL BE INTRODUCED. THESE INCLUDE À CHANGE IN THE LOCK SYSTEM, INCREASED FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION, INSTALLATION OF IMPROVED METERS AS WELL AS BETTER LAW ENFORCEMENT.

DURING THE YEAR, 799,199 METERS WERE INSPECTED

AND REPAIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT'S METER MAINTENANCE DEPOTS EITHER AS A RESULT OF TELEPHONE COMPLAINTS OR DURING DAILY ROUTINE PATROL BY THE FIELD STAFF.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ON-STREET PARKING METERS AT THE END OF 1978 WAS 10,884 3,619 ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND 7,265 IN KOWLOON.

MEANWHILE, THE PRESSURE ON EXISTING PARKING FACILITIES CONTINUED TO GROW DURING THE YEAR, WITH UTILISATION OF OFF-STREET FACILITIES REACHING RECORD LEVELS.

THERE ARE NOW EIGHT GOVERNMENT MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS PROVIDING A TOTAL OF 5,077 SPACES.

THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES USING THESE CAR PARKS INCREASED BY 479,929 TO 3,943,236 LAST YEAR.

THERE ARE ALSO MULTI-STOREY CAR PARKS OPERATED BY PRIVATE ENTERPRISES, MOSTLY SITUATED IN THE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS IN THE URBAN DISTRICTS, THEY HAVE A TOTAL CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 9,120 VEHICLES.

THE GOVERNMENT ALSO PROVIDES TEMPORARY OFF-STREET OPEN-AIR CHARGEABLE CAR-PARKS ON LAND AWAITING DEVELOPMENT, AT PRESENT, FOUR SUCH CAR PARKS ARE IN OPERATION PROVIDING SOME 1,025 PARKING SPACES.

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